Tell Congress to invest in childcare - not child prisons!

"I receive childcare assistance through my local DHS office. If I didn’t get this assistance I could not work (even though I live paycheck to paycheck) and would have to apply for Welfare. I’m more than grateful for every penny I receive for childcare. Without it I would have to pay $120 a week! My daughter is learning so much from the program that is offered: she knows how to count, read (some small sentences,) knows her alphabet, and she knows how to draw. She is four years old." – Amanda

Investments in affordable, quality childcare can be THE difference in a family’s ability to thrive. Just like it is for Amanda’s family.

Things have clearly gotten all kinds of mixed up and messed up. Leaders need to hear our experiences and be reminded about where the priorities are - investing in programs like affordable, high-quality early education and care. Not initiatives that directly harm children and families.

The allocation of billions of dollars to fund family separation and detention is cruel and a massive waste of taxpayer funds. And I mean like a MASSIVE waste. In FY18, the Department of Homeland Security estimated that it cost on average $798 dollars per day, per family, to incarcerate a family on the border. On the other hand, with the Family Case Management Program, (which the Trump administration terminated in 2017), children and their parents were provided with individualized family service plans, and had a proven, nearly 100% success rate ensuring the family attend their hearings, and it cost only $36, per family, per day!

Families need safe and nurturing environments for their children, not detention centers. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars, leaders should instead allocate funding for programs that families really need, like high-quality early learning, that actually boosts our economy! There is almost no better return on investments for taxpayers than investing in early education and care. Studies show that for every $1 invested in early learning programs (like childcare and pre-k), taxpayers see a 13% return in investments due to fewer later grade repetitions, fewer later interactions with the criminal justice system, and more.

This is a no brainer. Now it’s time to make sure our elected leaders see it, too.

Why is it so important that they hear directly from families in the thick of it?

Too often, people think of childcare and early education as a “personal issue” - as in, our own problem to solve. But we know that when enough people are experiencing the same problem, it’s not an epidemic of personal failings, but a larger systemic issue that needs a larger solution. And lifting up your experiences shows elected leaders that the childcare struggle isn’t isolated, but a big issue impacting families in a real way.

Children need enriching environments to develop and grow - and we know that early learning opportunities like preschool and childcare can set the foundation for children to experience success in school and life.

It’s time to get back on track with what really matters.

Tell your members of Congress to focus on building a nation where our littlest learners are thriving, not imprisoned, by sharing how access to childcare has impacted your family or a family you know.

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